Dear friends,
I am finally back in the ‘homeland’! After spending a few relaxing days catching up with my family, I am writing you my final update from my year with ICC. To sum up the past month, I would use the word transitions. (This is a word that I think this will continue to define my situation for a little while, as well!)
I last left off in Lyon where I spent a week with a team from the States who organized a children’s camp for the local church and community. The following week, the team went full-speed ahead down to Marseille to tackle a couple of other projects. While some helped with a daily café/discussion outreach through the Marseille Salvation Army, others worked to clean and renovate the office space that ICC uses at House of Hope, a local ministry to North African immigrants. This building is used for many types of outreach and the missionaries have allowed us to use one room as an office for our ICC church underway in Marseille. At the Salvation Army, they shared the Gospel with many people passing on the streets and visiting over free coffee and drinks. The visiting team had a great desire to serve and was a huge encouragement to me personally, allowing me to make some great friends.Meanwhile, and after their departure, I dug into work with ICC to tackle some major projects before I concluded my time there. The most exciting news is that the Painters were finally able to purchase the office for ICC’s headquarters in Sanary-sur-Mer. Praise the Lord for His provisions! It’s a great location with lots of possibilities for future ministry use. We’ve already been able to host an ICCM barbecue there to get to know some of the future ICCM church members better and I even had the privilege of ‘inaugurating’ it as the first inhabitant for about a week. ☺ We are also happy about the progress in the non-profit development of ICC-Eurasia. We’ve created some brochures and a website to help promote it and inform people about the ministry God has entrusted to us. We would love your comments! You can check out the website at: www.icc-ministries.org. Please continue to pray about this process, as it requires a great deal of cooperation and resources. However, I am eager to see how God will use this investment to give support and encouragement to so many more in Europe.
I also appreciate your prayers for some more upcoming ICC events. Starting September 16th, ICCM (Marseille) will begin its monthly worship services. This is a big step of faith while we trust the Lord to bring those people who are most in need of a church body and also those who will commit to serving in the church. But we know that if God has called us to work toward the creation of this church, then there is surely a need that it can meet in Marseille! It is thus a bittersweet time for me to leave since I am excited to see where this ministry is heading and yet I am moving on from it. Please pray that God will provide someone to take my place as a member of ICC to continue this work. There are already two girls who are potentially interested.
Towards the end of my time in the Marseille, Richard came with a team of Spanish students that he organized and they were a big help to ICC since they partnered with us to continue the work at House of Hope. They made some huge progress for us! They painted a room, did some major outdoor and indoor clean-up, and had a great heart to help, as well. It was really special to be able to partner with them. I then made my way up to Paris with them before flying home and was simultaneously challenged and blessed by their service to others. I was able to join the team as they visited the homeless throughout Paris to offer meals and care packages and to share love with them in action and through conversation. Seeing how these teams that I’ve encountered recently have gone out of their way to serve and love others reminded me so much of Jesus’ example in washing the disciples’ feet. Rather than staying comfortable as the teacher and master, He got down on His knees to show us that our Master goes out of His way to serve and meet our needs. Remembering that it’s a privilege for me to follow Jesus in service is such a humbling, continuing lesson to me and I’m grateful for these tangible examples.This year of serving in ministry has at times been a great challenge, but so worthwhile, and I am convinced that we won’t even know all of the effects of our shared work until Heaven. I am consequently so grateful for all of the ways you have partnered with me in prayer, finances and encouragement. Now that I am home in the States, I am actively seeking God’s next step for me. I will continue to keep you updated, though this will be the last official ministry update from me for awhile. I wholeheartedly appreciate your prayers as I wait on God’s leading. If you have any thoughts or guidance to offer, I am happy to hear from you. Loving Christ and people through ministry is a lifelong commitment and, no matter what awaits me, I intend to keep this my central purpose. Thank you for your faithfulness in walking beside me through all of these exhilarating and stretching experiences for His glory.
Love always in Him,
Ashley Erdmann
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